Comparing the Effectiveness of Self-Differentiation Training and Reality Therapy on the Intimacy and Self-Expression Ability of Married Women

The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of self-differentiation and reality therapy training on the intimacy and assertiveness of married women. The research method was semi-experimental using a pre-test-post-test and follow-up design with a control group. The research population was all married women whose terms of marriage were under 5 years and their ages were between 20 and 40 years in Tabriz city. A sample of 45 married women was selected by using the convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to two experimental groups, a group for training reality therapy and a group for self-differentiation training (each group was 15), and a control group (15 people). To collect data, the pre-test, and post-test stages, the Marital intimacy questionnaire (Bagarozzi, 2001), and the assertiveness questionnaire (Gambbridge & Richie, 1975) were used. The data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance. The result showed that the self-differentiation and reality therapy training was effective in the intimacy and assertiveness of married women. Also, based on the result, there was no significant difference between the efficacy of self-differentiation and reality therapy on the intimacy and assertiveness of married women. According to the results of the study, it can be stated that those who have little intimacy and self-expression, use self-differentiation and reality therapy as a treatment.